About Thames

1870's

1880's

1890's

1900's

1910's

1920's

1930's

1940's

1950's

1960's

1970's

1980's

1990's

2000's

The 1900's

Julius Beresford (bow), Karl Vernon, Charles Rought, Bruce Logan (stroke)

Julius Beresford and Karl Vernon joined Thames about the same time, in 1904. Over the next few years, 'Berry' and 'The Bean' (Vernon was a vegetarian) enjoyed great success, particularly pairing together. Despite their wins, they never seemed to impress the Thames coaches. This was not altogether surprising since by 1907 Berry was in his fourtieth year, while Bean, never a stylist at the best of times, was still a comparative novice.

Eventually, in the Autumn of 1907, Berry decided that the only way he was going to get anywhere was to buy his own boat and form his own four. This consisted of himself, Bean Vernon, Charlie Rought and Bruce Logan. In 1908 his plans were thwarted in an unexpected way. In the spring, his four competed at Amsterdam, and to the surprise of the Thames establishment, they won, beating a Ghent four drawn from their 1906 and 1907 Grand winners. Thames selected them for the Stewards'. Unfortunately, Logan and Rought were also put in the Grand eight, so Bean and Berry went again for the Goblets. This, in an Olympic year, proved to be their undoing. Rought and Logan had already raced when they faced a fresh Magdalen four, but pushed them all the way. Magdalen won in a record time, won the final in a much slower time and later won the Olympic title comfortably. To add insult to injury, Berry's four was not selected as the second British four for the Olympics. This caused a great furore in the papers and they were generally felt to have been shabbily treated.

In 1909, the four raced again at Henley, and met the same Magdalen crew in the final, beating them by 1 1/2 lengths. It was a famous victory and Thames's first Stewards' win in fifteen years. Berry's four stayed together for the next three years, and won the Stewards' again in 1911.

Thames beating Trinity Hall in a heat.